Reasons & Ways to Reduce Your Water Use Bill

Reasons To Reduce Your Water Bill

Operational costs

Water use is an element of your company’s operational costs and can easily be reduced, saving you money. In addition to reducing your water bill, you could also make savings on your energy bills by using less hot water.

Regulatory risk

The Water Supply (Water Fittings Regulations 1999 main purpose is to prevent waste, misuse, undue consumption and he contamination of wholesome water supplies. As a minimum, your organisation must comply with Regulations.

Environmental impact

Reducing your water use will help to protect the environment and lessen your carbon footprint.

Reputation

Taking steps to manage your environmental impacts will help to position your business as a socially and environmentally responsible company, which will be valued by clients, investors, the public and your staff.

Access to external investment

With more stringent regulation, financial institutions consider good environmental management as an indicator of overall business management.

Steps to Save Water (& Water Bill!)

There are various water efficient devices available to help reduce your water consumption.

Taps

a) Plugs in all wash-hand basins and sinks can reduce unnecessary running of taps.
b) Tap flow regulators can reduce the flow of water from the taps by up to half.
c) Percussion taps (push taps) deliver water for a pre-determined period and help avoid waste from running taps. If push taps remain stuck on, or if their run time is longer than ten seconds, you should fix them or contact the supplier to arrange resetting the run times.
d) Sufficient lagging of hot pipes will help to minimise the need to run the tap for a long time to get hot water, as well as helping to conserve heat energy.
e) Repairing a dripping tap could save as much as 9-litres of water a day. In most instances all that is required is a new washer.

Toilets

a) Checks should be made to ensure that cisterns, whether for storage or flushing, are not overfilling and causing water to waste through warning pipes. In such instances, necessary adjustments or repairs should be made.
b) A save-a-flush can be inserted into 7-litre toilet cisterns, these toilets usually have a pull handle and were often installed between 1993 and 1999. The device will reduce each flush by 1-litre but is not suitable for dual-flush or slimline cisterns.
c) A Hippo bag can be fitted into cisterns of 9-litres upwards to reduce each flush by 2-litres.
d) Existing cisterns can be converted into dual flush systems. There are a number of suppliers providing devices that convert toilet cisterns of 7-litres upwards into a dual flush, allowing you to use a smaller flush.
e) Install new low flush/dual flush toilets to provide a 4-itre/6-litre flush.

Urinals

a) Flushing can be made more cost effective by installing passive infrared (PIR) flush control systems, so flushing reflects use.
b) On average, an unmanaged cistern flushes four times an hour, 24-hours a day, using 315 m3of water, at a cost of £500 per year (based on 2008 prices). Reducing the flush frequency and preventing flushing out-of-hours can reduce this to 36 m3, which equates to just £57 per year